ToPpiXX.RADi0 [2010.07.22] Addicting Games with Nathan McNathan and FastTadpole

[FastTadpole]

Best copy here (Direct Download): http://concen.org/tr/ToPpiXX.RADi0.20100...ing.Games/

Edit: I suppose it would help to put the link to the tracker.

http://concen.org/tracker/torrents-details.php?id=18458

Just a session that my boy begged me to do and upload here. I'm glad he did. Time well spent.

I scrambled some research I'd done, but he's the expert. We shared a $10 headset I picked up in a clearance bin, but the sound turned out to be quite listenable.



ToPpiXX.RADi0 Episode 1 and 2
Topic: Addicting Games
Airdate: 2010.07.22
Total Runtime: 46:52 (2 Files)
Codec: MPEG-1 Layer 3, CBR
Info: 44100Hz 64 kb/s tot, Stereo

Nathan McNathan and FastTadpole present Addicting Games, a discussion about internet games from a 9 year old kid's perspective.

Games are entering our lives on a more and more frequent basis. Technology, virtual connections and child marketing have taken games to a whole new level few had predicted. Virtual currencies, social hooks, physiological hooks and real life integration is in the pioneer phase.

They're trying to sell this as the reputation based economy, like eBay seller rating and reviews, air miles, reward cards and carbon credits all easily gamed like the stock market. I've looked into it, Reader's Digest Canada just put out a cover story on it a few months ago, not a good model for so many reasons. Not the least of which is cliques, protectionism and group-think.

The social engineering aspect to this could be more controlling than money or work alongside currency.

The morality is a huge aspect being introduced. Notice all the war games, gangster and carnage games out there? You think that isn't funded by DoD or government / shadow government engineers? It's implanting this into the feedback loop associating these morals with rewards and teaching kids and adult children these behaviours.

Competitive social Darwinism boosts productivity so it's better for the corporations to get better more aggressive workers and traders and ignore the rules.

They create tests that people have to cheat on in the military for a lot of entrance exams to high level positions, they do it in the corporate world too. There is a big move to remove morality to increase bottom line efficiency and production.

The morality is a huge aspect being introduced. Noticed all the war games, gangster and carnage games out there. You think that isn't funded by DoD or government / shadow government engineers?

There is the addictive aspect as well you got your WoWs and your FarmVilles.

On the marketing end we already have embedded kids at college and school wearing clothes and consuming products, even 'cool' tweens hosting sleepover parties funded by corporations to hock goods like Avon.

They don't just try to sell products, they mould generations and sell morals, people, attitudes and even wars.

Provided below are links to some of the sites that host the internet games we discussed and some relevant resources and articles.

Disney's Club Penguin
http://www.clubpenguin.com/

Disney's Toon Town Online
http://toontown.go.com/

Addicting Games
http://www.addictinggames.com/

Runescape
http://www.runescape.com/

World of Warcraft
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/

Little Big Planet
http://www.littlebigplanet.com/

Evony
http://www.evony.com/

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/

Farmville
http://www.farmville.com/

Mafia Wars
http://www.mafiawars.com/

YoVille
http://www.yoville.com/

Neopets
http://www.neopets.com/

Nexxon - Maple Story
http://maplestory.nexon.net/
http://www.nexon.net/

Yugioh Online
http://www.yugioh-online.net/

Magic The Gathering
http://www.wizards.com/magic/

Jesse Schell - DICE 2010: Design Outside the Box - Disturbing Presentation on Gaming Psychology, Technology, Social Engineering and Marketing
http://g4tv.com/videos/44277/DICE-2010-D...sentation/
http://concen.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=34080
http://concen.org/tracker/torrents-details.php?id=18423

Virtual Currency
http://concen.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=33890

The Merchants Of Cool: Marketing to Teenagers and Creating Trends
Consuming Kids: The Commercialization Of Childhood
Both available on this compilation by brainphreak:
Coast To Coast AM - 07-08-10 - Video Game Addiction
http://concen.org/tracker/torrents-details.php?id=18224 (freeleech)

Unplugged Book News Spot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbf_A5EJ_M0

WoW Addiction Documentary Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pjNNmsMj50

Black Packet 2: "Now What Are They Trying To Sell Me?"
http://concen.org/tracker/torrents-details.php?id=6107

Touchable Holograms
http://www.tgdaily.com/general-sciences-...-holograms

Schell Games
http://www.schellgames.com/

National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) Draft
http://concen.org/tracker/torrents-details.php?id=18429

Real ID Online? Federal Online Identity Plan Raises Privacy and Free Speech Concerns
http://concen.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=34091

Enjoy the show!

:smurf: :punk: :ike:

[yeti]

Nathan is an intelligent kid. He obviously loves his dad a lot...

[FastTadpole]

Open question. Could anyone point the way as to a good mic for this type of setup. Passing a headset back and forth is a bit odd. Might have remote guests too. Mr. Blow was supposed to show me how to record on Skype (I'll have to bug him again) but I'm sure there are a bunch of recording tutorials and tips out there to absorb.

No better way to impact the future than talking to kids, and no better way to reach the kids with their peers. Something to counteract the education system and the media and maybe encourage a few absent parents to spend more time with them instead of handing them over to state care 8+ hours a day 200+ days a year during their most impressionable years watching UN and Al Gore presentations and being taught revisionist history.

Thanks to elixir for boosting and filtering! I cranked the volume to get a good listen with the first version but this one cranks up the volume and filters out some of the bg noise.

It seems we have some FTP space now so I'll be upping the cleaner copy.

http://concen.org/tr/ (thanks yeti!)

I have a buddy that has a ShoutCast server he was going to let all of us use it for things like this but he seems to have disappeared, along with my old FTP site. Anyone have any experience dealing with Blog Talk Radio, iTunes, streamtheworld or any other online podcasting service. If so any recommendations, not just for me but for the КонСен Audio Project and any other ConCen audio projects that really want to put themselves out there.

.. and yes I'm very proud of both my boys, and the feeling is mutual.

[---]

(07-23-2010 06:46 PM)FastTadpole Wrote:  If so any recommendations, not just for me but for the КонСен Audio Project and any other ConCen audio projects that really want to put themselves out there.

This is good news. Tbh, speaking personally i don't think a plethora of different competing audio projects is at all needed and I have a lot going on to deal with in the RL at the moment -- so I will use this fortuitous moment to defer to let "ToPpiXX.RaDi0" become the focal hub for this concen voices idea.

It is very cool that you, FastTadpole "really want to put yourself out there" and are being proactive and loking to get shoutcast or something similar sorted out for the site.

yeti has sorted out your ftp page, so you are all set. Now that someone else is keen to take the helm to get this thing going, I can concentrate more on some other pressing things in RL that need to be attended to.

I haven't heard your show as my generic telekom router is jamming bittorrent at mo, by the looks of it. But I am sure it is nice and I'llgrab it when I sort out what is wrong with the router.

Good Luck with it! It's good there is someone with loads of enthusiasm now getting something going!

[FastTadpole]

It wasn't meant to compete nor is Joe Blow's flaming radio cast (rib), КонСен or anything else out there - they all offer something different to the tapestry. I think we should have 100s of shows up on here and drown out the Becks and the AJs or at least present alternatives.

КонСен is da bomb, I love the format. I'm learning more about the audio while still trying to stay employed -- I've got about 6 contracts going right now, which is good but it means I can't personally take the helm of anything.

I'd like to keep КонСен going there are more than enough people willing to contribute. There is a lack of audio skillz though. I need a quick tutorial on recording, equipment and post processing. I'm a quick study and worked with S3m's and stuff like that, so we can skip to the good stuff. I just wanted to avoid the pitfalls of audio recording / broadcasting and have my hand held during the first few trudges.

I'm on skype whenever I'm available so if you see I'm green it means I can chat and bounce thoughts off the fiberOptikz. Lend me your minds you audio geeks and I'll return the favour for whatever I can modestly provide.

[---]

"I'd like to keep КонСен going there are more than enough people willing to contribute. "

Indeed, it is kind of a cool name for a radio show! Please feel free to use the name. GL!

[FastTadpole]

Quote:The 'FarmVille' Ruse: How Zynga's Creation Ruins Gaming and Steals Your Time
by Matthew Zuras — Aug 4th 2010 at 12:40PM

FarmVille is a very smart game. It was developed by Zynga, the company founded by serial entrepreneur Mark Pincus, which is on track to pull in $500-million dollars in revenue this year. As of July, FarmVille was hosting the digital homesteads of 61 million users.

But you probably know all that already. What we're going to examine is why Zynga and FarmVille got that large, why they will continue to grow, and how they have changed the face of gaming.

We've blasted FarmVille in our past posts, but we'll let you in on a shameful secret: none of us had actually ever played the game, and as journalists, we felt that it was unfair to cast judgment so blindly. So we decided to spend two weeks trying to figure out how the game worked and what makes it so attractive. And we've come to the conclusion that, like your day job, it's difficult to simply walk away from your farm for good -- and that is a terrible thing.


Farming the Easy Way

Seasoned Internet farmers may want to skip past this bit, but here's some backstory for those of you oblivious to the downward spiral that is FarmVille.

Game setup is designed to be quick and easy. Despite occasional hiccups with the interface (as the game is technically still in beta, even with its massive user base and revenue), you simply follow the prompts to start farming. You pick the look and sex of your 'Precious Moments'-esque hayseed, and then are presented with your buying options in the Marketplace. (Your writer feels compelled to note that there are few options open to redheads for verisimilitude, unless you were born "maroon.") The goal of the game is actually unclear; but, like in real life, the sole motivator is more money and more growth, since you can't ever "win" FarmVille, or, for that matter, "lose." The game donates both coins and Farm Cash (more on those later) to get you going. Simply buy some seeds for the crop you wish, and, after tilling the soil, sow your virtual oats.

After the amount of time specified in the Marketplace for a given crop, you can return to harvest, and gain back some of the coins you've spent. Planting seeds and tilling your soil will also earn you experience points, which will allow you to unlock new aspects of the game (more varieties of seeds, animals and other goodies) as you progress.

One of the key features of FarmVille, though, is how it encroaches on real life; if your crops mature and you don't return to the game in time to harvest, they will wilt. Thus, huge communities of FarmVille players have concocted strategy guides to let you know which crops have the best returns, which ones you should grow overnight, and which ones you can plant over and over throughout the day. There are even "news" sites featuring articles like "Artichokes: The Choice for a Long Weekend Getaway," since -- as far as we got in the game, at least -- you can't ever get longer than a four-day respite from your farm.

Most video games that remember your progress don't change while you're gone. With the exception of other social games like MMOs -- which update as other users play -- the video game world pauses when you're not playing. But FarmVille chugs along and essentially demands that you return on a regular schedule.

Cash Cows

So, you get sucked into playing, just as we did, but there's a slight boredom threshold that must be crossed before the game becomes rewarding. As you continue to click/click/click and till/plant/harvest, your available coins and Farm Cash increase along with experience points.

You collect FarmVille coins when you harvest plants or animal products, but you only get Farm Cash when you reach a higher experience level. Both can be purchased with real money directly through the game. It is more than tempting to throw away $5 on Farm Cash, especially since you get so little of it through the game alone, and since some of the more covet-worthy items can only be purchased with Farm Cash.

There it is: Zynga's dirty technique for making its $500 million. It ropes players into the game with the promise that absolutely anyone can play. It will even float you coins the first time you run out, not unlike the casino that gives a high-roller luxury accommodations in anticipation of making back the house's stake. It dangles the prospect of a bigger, prettier, better farm; as the game loads, you're faced with idyllic images of well-off farms, not unlike the glossy ads for high-end residences. But it's nearly impossible to get some of those goods without ponying up a buck or two here and there. When Zynga's got a user base of 61 million digital farmers, it's easy enough to make ends meet, to say the least.

But paid-for coins and cash could be considered the long con compared to some of the more unscrupulous methods of revenue generation to which FarmVille and its sister games have been connected. Mark Pincus, Zynga's founder, has admitted, "I did every horrible thing in the book... just to get revenues right away. I mean, we gave our users poker chips if they downloaded this zwinky toolbar which was like -- I don't know -- I downloaded it once and couldn't get rid of it. We did anything possible just to just get revenues so that we could grow... " That included selling ad space to sleazy marketers that hooked users with disguised "online IQ tests" and the promise of free trial offers. Zynga and Facebook were hit with a class-action lawsuit back in November, which accused the game developer of pulling in nearly a third of its cash from the "special offers" advertised through its games.

The Belted Cow Is the Princess Diana Beanie Baby

When we said that your farmer-avatar reminded us of a 'Precious Moments' figurine, the comparison was more than just aesthetic; FarmVille goes beyond simple time-suck and into the realm of collectible culture. Once you've figured out how to maintain your farm, you realize that you've got to spend your hard-earned money somehow. It's not like your digital spawn will need it for college tuition, so FarmVille conveniently lets you know which items you need in order to complete a collection. Whether buttons, precious stones or just every variety of arbor, the game encourages exhaustive consumption for its own sake. When you acquire a new item, you are advised to let your friends know through your Facebook Wall, which only encourages one-upmanship.

But the Marketplace is successful because it reflects our own real-life market; goods are given sometimes exorbitant prices simply because they are luxury items, which gives them a higher perceived value. (Why, for example, does the Belted Cow fetch an asking price of a million coins?) As you start to collect, you also begin to display your collection. Like the Beanie Babies of yore, each new item collected is eventually supplanted by a whole new crop of "limited edition" items, such as the current New England collection of Delicate Cottages to go along with whatever the hell else has been thrown out there.

By releasing a never-ending stream of collections, FarmVille solidifies its existence in perpetuity. It's revolutionary in gaming, because few, if any, other games have been so consistently updated by their developers -- although other social games and MMOs have quickly followed suit. When you can't run out of things to purchase, and where there's no such thing as a recession, you just keep on buying.


Your Farm Is Only as Pretty as the Envy It Inspires

To further motivate this collecting desire, FarmVille users are routinely asked to make neighbors of their Facebook friends -- and some aspects of the game, like the construction of nurseries and apiaries, are nearly impossible to unlock without compatriots' help. In our experiment, we set up two different FarmVille accounts, through two different Facebook accounts, just to see how users could connect with one another. It quickly became an unspoken competition between our fake farms; when one of us bought a barn, the other was compelled to buy one, too.

You could argue that FarmVille doesn't explicitly encourage this never-ending envy, but each new "achievement" (which is cheapened by the fact that there are hundreds and hundreds of "achievements" possible in the game) activates a prompt asking if you would like to share the news with your friends. It takes just as long to say "yes" as it does "no," and only the most selfless farmer would choose not to boast of his or her latest conquest in successfully purchasing 100 bales of hay.

But the prompts are a recent change. Many updates used to be automatic, but, as the New York Times notes, "six million Facebook users, who grew tired of constant updates about their friends' games, joined a group called 'I don't care about your farm, or your fish, or your park, or your mafia!!!'." Possibly as a result, Facebook began to restrict the updates, and -- unless you had any doubt about the power of those simple, annoying messages -- the FarmVille digital army dropped 26-percent from its peak of 83 million users.

FarmVille Is Work Masquerading as a Game

Back in January, A.J. Patrick Liszkiewicz, a media critic and adjunct professor at SUNY Buffalo, gave a talk, in which he quoted theorist Roger Caillois on the value of gaming, and related said theory to FarmVille. "While Caillois tells us that games offer a break from responsibility and routine," he asserted, "FarmVille is defined by responsibility and routine." In speaking of objects like the Harvester and Seeder, Liszkiewicz noted, "As you advance through FarmVille, you begin earning rewards that allow you to play FarmVille less. Harvesting machines let you click four squares at once, and barns and coops let you manage groups of animals simultaneously, saving you hundreds of tedious mouse-clicks. In other words, the more you play FarmVille the less you have to play FarmVille."

Ian Bogost, whose anti-FarmVille metagame Cow Clicker we recently mentioned, writes that social games "are games that you don't have to play." We disagree, as must Liszkiewicz, even if we see eye-to-eye on the role that social games play today. You must play FarmVille; if you don't, your crops will die. You are reminded that your crops are ready for harvest, and you read your FarmVille neighbors' Wall posts, announcing their successes in one aspect of the game or the other. You are sent gifts by neighbors, and obliged to send gifts back. (To that end, Liszkiewicz said, "As the French sociologist Marcel Mauss tells us, gifts are never free: they bind the giver and receiver in a loop of reciprocity. It is rude to refuse a gift, and ruder still to not return the kindness.") FarmVille, like Facebook, does not let its users go easily.

Unlike the classic SimCity, FarmVille does not allow its users to destroy their creations without still more work. With SimCity, you could blast your withering megalopolis with a firestorm or an alien invasion; FarmVille is set up so that you can only delete plots and sell off your assets, without ever really hitting bottom.

We found ourselves returning to our farm more and more each day. We were roped into the competition that drives the game -- to acquire more money and points than our neighbors, and to have a better-looking and more profitable homestead. And, for only two weeks spent playing, we feel like we didn't do such a bad job. Still, we realized that, as we logged on late at night or on the weekends ("Just for a minute!" we'd tell our foot-tapping significant others), Zynga had snared us in its web, too -- and we didn't like that one bit. So we did what people do when they've lost their minds and shirked the capitalist system: we sold off every single asset and put the money in hay bales -- and that's where it will stay. We're not about to say that we didn't have fun playing FarmVille, but we will say that it was a relief to finally let go.

http://digg.com/playable_web_games/The_F..._Your_Time
http://www.switched.com/2010/08/04/the-f...-and-stea/

[JazzRoc]

That's a pity, because I have a friend who wishes to develop a permaculture game, and it seems you have "contaminated the well".
I would like to see such a game flourish, because the chances are we're going to be living with our hands closer to our mouths not so long from now.
Personally I wish the word "permaculture" was on everyone's lips. Fifty years from now it will be, if there are any lips around.

[FastTadpole]

Farmville is a rip-off of Harvest Moon (2000).





A game that teaches permaculture is a good idea to piggyback off of the success of Farmville. Mixed farming is the only way to go for long term food production in harmony with nature. I only object to all the hooks, marketing and psychological tactics that keep you playing (wasting time) and buying. Games, immersive simulations, and even the hypnotic light box can teach but hands on experience is always best. Farmville is hardly about farming though, it's more about collecting, building a pretty virtual farm and one upping your friends virtual shyte for that false sense of accomplishment.

[lockntross]

There's Harvestmoon and plenty of clones of it. I think one just came out for the Wii ...

but the game I think girls get addicted too quicker is LOST IN BLUE for the DS

you crash on an island and have to do everything!!! Find food, clothing, and support your relationships with other shipwrecked people on the island.